November 18, 2006 In this issue Christians fl ee Iraq in wake of war Students empty closets for charity When God does something new Dr Allen Steele, CEO of the Adventist Media Network, watches the new Pacifi c Focus DVD, which replaces the quarterly Adventist News. AMN provides Pacifi c Focus WAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALES new resource, Pacifi c Focus, has From stories about the fi rst missionary been launched by the Adventist pilot to Papua New Guinea to testimonies, Media Network (AMN). True to its interviews and a vegetarian cooking seg- name, it will focus on church news ment, viewers can choose to watch it in Afrom around the South Pacifi c. the comfort of their own home either on “Pacifi c Focus is the result of our vision DVD or on Hope TV, download it from to connect, resource and inspire church the church’s members site, <spd.adventist. members in the South Pacifi c,” says Dr org.au>, or show it at church at an appro- SA schools Allen Steele, CEO of AMN. “We hope to priate opportunity, such as part of or before create a sense of community and belong- or after worship services. ing within the wider church with this Pacifi c Focus is the fi rst of several new celebrate production.” projects by the entity formed to fully har- A collection of short fi ve-minute video ness the communication and media poten- clips, Pacifi c Focus showcases the stories tial of the Adventist Church, particularly in 100 years and activities of church members. (Continued on page 5) ISSN 0819-5633 4455 ccover.inddover.indd 1 11/11/06/11/06 111:50:011:50:01 AAMM editorial Jesus leads into a description of a life lived with a diff erent set of priorities. The sins of Sodom f I were to ask about the “sins of Rosner, Beyond Greed). But through this bought at someone else’s expense, whether Sodom,” chances are there would be parable Jesus leads into a description of a it be at the expense of the working poor, those who would almost automatically life lived with a different set of priorities those marginalised by society, developing launch into an almost perversely vivid (see Luke 12:22-34). Jesus is criticising an countries or future generations. Idescription of various sexual and other de- approach to life that is “measured by how Clearly this is not the way of God: “Econ- pravity. After all, that’s where the term “sod- much we own” (Luke 12:15, NLT). omies built on destruction and exhaustion omy” is derived and “Sodom and Gomor- In Seven Types of Ambiguity, Australian must be replaced with economies that model rah” have become bywords for a plethora of writer Elliot Perlman describes this all- hospitality and care. We need to see that lascivious and decadent behaviour. pervading measure of life: “The relentless our economic lives give the most honest Interestingly though, that’s not the an- pursuit of the bottom line is the siren song portrayal of how we understand salvation” swer the Bible gives: “Sodom’s sins were of the times and the song is played over the (Norman Wirzba, The Paradise of God). pride, laziness, and gluttony, while the public-address systems in banks, in stores The connection of economics and our poor and needy suffered outside her door” and supermarkets. It has never been so appreciation of salvation is one usually (Ezekiel 16:49, NLT). Contrasting with our loud. It’s never been so ubiquitous. It has only employed in announcing the offering assumption of sexual outrage, Ezekiel’s never before so routinely, so blatantly, oust- at church, but it isn’t limited to that small focus is on economic injustice. ed and nullifi ed citizenship and notions of part of our income. It’s about all our lives, And it’s not something confi ned to Ezek- the common good. It has never before so how we arrange all our fi nances, our priori- iel. From Amos’ description of the rich successfully colonised men’s souls.” ties in our work, our families and our faith. women of Samaria as “fat cows” (Amos The economic mythology criticised by Jesus said, “A person is a fool to store up 4:1) to Mary’s song describing how God both Jesus and Perlman is the supposed earthly wealth but not have a rich relation- has “sent the rich away with empty hands” “trickle-down” effect of prosperity. While ship with God” (Luke 12:21, NLT). One (Luke 1:53) to the “anti-Beatitudes” Luke economic prosperity can bring some benefi ts evidence of that “rich relationship” is our records, which contrast the blessing of the to all, generally only a small portion “trick- focus on material resources and what we poor with “woe to you who are rich, for you les down” to the people who most need it. do with the resources we are given. have already received your comfort” (Luke This is compounded when the economic In the midst of our market-driven, con- 6:24, NIV), to Paul’s repeated condemna- growth is driven by exploitation in its vari- sumer-focused and advertising-saturated tion of the greedy (see, for example, Eph- ous forms—people, labour, the environment culture, the economics of the Bible call for esians 5:5; Colossians 3:5; Titus 1:7), it seems and other resources. So a small portion of a radical reordering of our priorities. As the Bible has something against the rich and the gains are “generously” made available Will O’Brien has put it, “When we truly their/our accumulation of wealth. to alleviate the suffering from which those discover love, capitalism will not be pos- Perhaps this biblical concern has its high gains were derived. It is a downward spi- sible and Marxism will not be necessary” point in Jesus’ parable of the rich fool (see ral with a veneer of economic growth and (quoted by Shane Claiborne, The Irresist- Luke 12:13-21). This story “gives no in- upward mobility. ible Revolution). dication that the greed being condemned And if the prosperity is derived from un- involves anything other than the accumula- sustainable development in whatever form, tion of wealth by legitimate means” (Brian the prosperity will only ever be an illusion Nathan Brown Offi cial Paper of the South Editor Nathan Brown Mail: Signs Publishing Company Pacifi c Division Seventh-day Senior assistant editor David Edgren 3485 Warburton Highway Adventist Church Editorial assistant Adele Nash Warburton, Vic 3799, Australia ABN 59 093 117 689 Editorial assistant Scott Wegener Phone: (03) 5966 9111 Fax: (03) 5966 9019 www.adventist.org.au Copyeditor Graeme Brown Email Letters: [email protected] Editorial secretary Meryl McDonald-Gough Email Newsfront: [email protected] Vol 111 No 45 Layout Nathan Chee Email Noticeboard: [email protected] Cover: Melody Tan Senior consulting editor Barry Oliver Subscriptions: South Pacifi c Division mailed within Australia and to New Zealand, $A43.80 $NZ73.00. www.record.net.au Other prices on application. Printed weekly. 2 November 18, 2006 4455 EEditorial.inddditorial.indd Sec1:2Sec1:2 11/11/06/11/06 111:50:411:50:41 AAMM news Women’s ministries condemns domestic violence in PNG PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW abuse and violence—it was eye-opening for and monitoring committee for the Abuse GUINEA many who attended the program.” and Violence Offi ce, and Dame Carol Kidu The programs were advertised on local from the Offi ce of the Ministry of Com- he Women’s Ministries Department television on the EM TV Toksave program munity Development. of the Central Papua Mission and in Tok Pisin, as well as on radio stations. The other speakers were from the local churches used the Child Abuse “We also issued a press release on the sub- Women Policing and Welfare for Chil- and Violence to Women Awareness ject for radio stations so everybody around dren Departments of Community TWeek of August 20 to 26 to raise awareness Central Province heard our message,” says Development. about these problems in society. Mrs Egu. “They gave us good talks and the pro- Jeanette Egu, women’s ministries direc- Following the seminars, the churches gram was very encouraging,” adds Mrs tor for the Central Papua Mission, organ- in and around Port Moresby organised a Egu. “Dame Kidu pointed out that the ised a committee of 11 people to arrange procession of fl oats around the city. The government could not stop the abuse and presentations aimed at helping to tackle procession started late in the morning and violence problem. Governments and mem- these problems. United Nations statistics ended at the Sir John Guise Stadium for bers of the public need to work together state that 67 per cent of women in Papua the conclusion of the program. to fi ght abuse and violence in the country. New Guinea suffer abuse of some kind. “The purpose was to raise public aware- Together we have to break the silence. Women in Port Moresby churches ran ness about child abuse and violence to We must put a stop to abuse and violence a three-night seminar about child abuse women,” Mrs Egu says. “Each church or- against our children and women.” and domestic violence early in the week, ganised one or more fl oats, with women Mrs Egu believes the week’s programs which was designed as an in-reach to local and young people putting on displays and were successful, saying, “We got the mes- churches. acting out dramas that spoke against abuse sage out to the public that abusing our Mrs Egu says, “The women’s ministries and violence.